STARS: Sistas Talking About Real Solutions is a health education intervention for African-American women, ages 18-29 aimed at reducing their risk for HIV. A total of 855 subjects were recruited from three Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers. Members were randomly selected from the membership database and sent a letter via mail introducing them to the project and inviting them to participate. Letters were followed up with a phone call and potential participants were screened for eligibility. To be able to participate, participants had to be African-American, female, between the ages of 18-29, single, and have at least one act of unprotected sexual intercourse within the last 6 months. Members who were eligible and willing to participate completed a 1-hour baseline assessment survey; STD testing for Chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and HPV; a vaginal swab that was used to determine if they had unprotected sex. They were then randomized into one of two study conditions: (1) a 2-session HIV risk-reduction condition with a safer sex relapse prevention component (2) a 1-session control condition in which participants receive general women's health information and brochures. Participants received a booster session at 6 and 9 months to reinforce intervention materials. Participants completed an assessment survey and received STD testing at 6 and 12 months. The primary aim of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of the HIV risk-reduction/safer sex relapse prevention condition relative to the health and nutritional control group in reducing HIV-associated sexual behaviors and incident STDs over a 12-month follow-up period is to implement.

To evaluate the efficacy of a HIV risk-reduction condition relative to general health control condition in reducing HIV-associated sexual behaviors and incident STDs. [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:

To evaluate the efficacy of a HIV risk-reduction condition relative to general health control condition in enhancing theoretically-derived mediators of HIV-preventive behaviors. [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Participants in this condition received a 2 hour group session which consisted of general health information and women's health brochures facilitated by a trained health educator. The control group received bi-monthly phone calls and quarterly mailings for retention purposes only, with no intervention material provided.

engaged in at least one act of unprotected sexual intercourse within the last 6 months

were members of one of the three Kaiser Permanente HMO study sites

Exclusion Criteria:

pregnant or trying to get pregnant

young adults who have a condition that precludes participation (i.e. schizophrenia, severe learning disability, or undergoing chemotherapy)

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01028157